“All the best players began with futsal!” – Pelé
“If it wasn’t for futsal, I wouldn’t be the player I am today.” — Cristiano Ronaldo
The untold story of soccer’s little brother futsal, the grassroots game that is the secret behind the success of Pelé, Neymar, Messi, Ronaldo and the US star Christian Pulisic
Futsal, a form of indoor soccer, is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. Jamie Fahey uncovers its global stories, tactical innovations and fascinating history and reveals its the secret behind the success of the likes of Brazilians Ronaldhino, Ronaldo Fenômeno and Romario and the kind of soccer revolutionized by Pep Guardiola at Barcelona – with Spain’s Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta – and at Manchester City, with Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne and Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson.
As Brazilian superstar Neymar said: ‘It has developed my technique, quick thinking and short moves…Futsal is fundamental to a footballer’s life. It had a big importance in mine. When you’re out there playing, you’re forced to think fast and move even faster – if you lose a second, then the ball will be gone.”
Born in Uruguay almost a century ago but raised to an art form in Brazil, futsal is one of the fastest-growing sports on the planet: over 60 million people play this lightning-fast and tactically intricate variation of indoor soccer, which is also a bona fide professional sport in its own right. Despite its growing status, however, futsal’s history remains largely unknown and untold.
Jamie Fahey is a leading futsal expert and qualified youth coach. He spent his childhood playing endless soccer matches in the shattered urban landscape of 1980s Liverpool – on the same streets later graced by Wayne Rooney, the ‘last true street footballer’. Yet when Fahey’s own soccer career stalled, he realised he had been unwittingly learning the skills that pointed to his true passion.
In Futsal: The Indoor Game Revolutionizing World Soccer, Fahey makes the case for futsal’s transformative grassroots effect, both in the UK and abroad. He also tells the story of futsal’s politics, tactics and personalities – and in doing so, illuminates a hidden corner of sporting history.
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